Hanger for collapsible tubes



Feb. 15, 1966 M. R. KovEN 3,235,210

HANGER FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Filed OC'. l5, 1963 M62 V//V E KQVZV, INVENTOR.

United States Patent O 3,235,210 HANGER FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Meivin R. Koven, 9835 SW. 81st St., Miami, Fia.

Filed ct. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 316,228 1 Claim. (Cl. 24S- 108) My invention relates generally to support or holder- Vtubes can readily be attached, yet which is small and inconspicuous enough not to interfere with the use of the tube, or the use of shelf space when attached to a cabinet shelf.

Another object is to provide a supporting hanger for collapsible tubes which is of unitary design and well adapted to manufacture from a synthetic plastic material by mass production injection molding.

Another object is to provide a supporting hanger of the above nature which will be inexpensive to manufacture, attractive in appearance, easy to apply, and simple, dependable and durable in use.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention wili be apparent from the following description when read with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIG. l is an oblique view of a hanger embodying the invention, shown attached to a cabinet shelf and supporting a collapsible tube;

FIG. 2 is an inner end view of the hanger, as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view, on an enlarged scale, of the hanger shown in FIGS. l and 2;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional View, taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows, and

FIG. 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional View, taken along the line 5 5 of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, in FIG. 1 designates a hanger embodying the invention shown attached against the edge of a glass shelf S, which may be the glass shelf of a medicine cabinet, for example, and supporting in hanging relation beneath the shelf, a collapsible tube T. The hanger 10 is of unitary construction and is preferably molded of a thermosetting synthetic plastic material such as polystyrene. As illustrated in FEGS. l, 2 and 3, the hanger 10 has a substantially tlat body or web portion 11, which can be generally trapezoidal in shape with rounded edges and corners as illustrated, thereby dening substantially parallel upper and lower edge .portions 12, 13, respectively.

A pair of widely spaced upper support arms 14, 14a extend outwardly of one side of the web portion 11, near the upper edge portion 12 thereof, said support arms being approximately rectangular in cross-section and having rounded outer ends as indicated at 15.

The support arms 14, 14a are normally inclined slightly downwardly or inwardly as indicated by the broken line representation thereof in FIG. 3, and ilex upwardly when the device is attached to a shelf S, as illustrated, to enhance clamping action and to adjust to a range of shelf thicknesses with which the device can be used.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the undersides of the upper support arms 14, 14a are roughened or knurled, as indicated at 16, to provide improved frictional grip upon the top surface of the shelf.

Extending perpendicularly outwardly of the web por- 3,235,210 Patented Feb. 15, 1966 tion 11 of the hanger 10 near the lower edge portion 13 thereof and in spaced relation to the upper support arms, 14, 14a is a comparatively long tube support member 17. The tube support member 17 is of substantially rectangular cross-section and is preferably centrally disposed below the support arms 14, 14a, as is best illustrated in FIG. 2. A central, longitudinal slot 13 is provided in the tube support member 17, said slot preferably being narrow and of serpentine form. The inner end of the slot 18`opens into an oval opening 19 of increased size, and the outer end opens into a mouth 2t) defined by opposed outer end portions 21, 21a of the tube support member 17.

The tube support member 17 is formed, at each side of the inner end opening 19, with a pair of opposed, short upstanding and inwardly-directed inner bosses or projections 22, which may be of oval cross-sectional configuration of diminishing size, as illustrated, and the outer ends of which are smoothly rounded. The tube support member 17 is also formed, at each side of the outer end of the slot 18, with a similar laterally-opposed pair of outer bosses or projections 23, said outer projections preferably being iu register with the inner projections 22.

In use, the rib-like or crimped-over bottom portion of the tube to be supported will be pushed into the serpentine slot 18 of the tube support member 17, as shown in FIGS. l and 2, where it will be securely held in place against accidental displacement or removal by action of the opposed, interfitting projections and recesses thereof. After each use, the tube is supported in hanging relation beneath a shelf S simply by pushing the hanger lil upon the outer marginal portion of the shelf between theI upper support arms 14, 14a and the upper ends of the inner and/outer bosses 22, 23. As described above, the normally inwardlyinclined disposition of the upper support arms 14, 14a and their inherent resiliency permits sufficient bending to accommodate any range of glass shelf thickness commonly used in medicine cabinets. The length of the tube support member 17 and the height of the bosses 22 and 23 are such as to accommodate a wide range of tube sizes. The knurling 16 on the undersides of the upper support arms 14, 14a enhances their gripping and clamping action when in attached position, yet their length is short enough not to interfere to any substantial degree with the usable shelf space, this being especially true when the hanger is placed at one end or the other of the shelf.

While I have illustrated and described herein only one form in which the invention may conveniently be embodied in practice, it is to be understood that this form is presented by way of example and not in a limiting sense. The invention, in brief, comprises all the embodiments and modifications coming within the scope and spirit of the following claim:

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A hanger for collapsible tubes comprising, in combination, a ilat body member, a pair of at spaced upper support arms extending outwardly of one sid-e of said body member and integrally formed therewith, a tube support member extending perpendicularly outwardly of said one side of said body member in spaced relation to the common plane of said upper support arms and integrally formed with said body member, and a plurality of abutment projections extending outwardly of said tube support member in the direction of said upper support arms, said tube support member having a slot of serpentine configuration defining opposed interfitting projections and recesses for receiving and gripping the flat closed end portion of a collapsible tube for supporting a tube in depending relation.

(References on following page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Reynolds 24-138 X McLean 24-259 Freiberg 248-126 o Rogers 24-259 Parrish 24-259 X Kendall 24-81 Kassler 248-108 Gould 24S-10s 10 Reinsberg 248-108 Migliaccio 24-255 X Opper 248-108 X Frontecilla 24-259 Joyce 24-259 Benziger 248-108 Arley 248-108 X Witte 248-108 Yeerdley 24-81 FOREIGN PATENTS Swizerland.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Examiner. 

